2017 St. Louis Mardi Gras Gourmet Weekend

Beer, Wine, Whiskey, and Cajun Cooking – 2017 St. Louis Mardi Gras

St. Louis, MO/February 8, 2017 (STLRestaurant.News) 2017 St. Louis Mardi Gras – The first of the 2017 Mardi Gras parties gets underway with Gourmet Weekend, Friday – Saturday, Feb. 10 – 11, 2017. It’s a weekend of excellent whiskey, wine, beer, and food. There will even be a celebrity or two.

It starts Friday evening with the 2017 St. Louis Mardi Gras Beer, Wine, and Whiskey Taste at Soulard Market Park, 1845 South 9th Street. The tasting party will be inside the Budweiser Party Pavilion. Guests will be able to sample the products of more than 50 wineries, breweries, and distilleries from around the world. There will be a large number of Beam Suntory whiskey, as well as a variety of Anheuser-Busch beers at the beer wall.

There will also be plenty to eat! Party goers can sample the award winning barbecue from some of St. Louis’ premiere pitmasters. Sugarfire Smoke House, Salt and Smoke, and Pappy’s Smoke House will all be there. Beside food and booze, revelers can dance the night away to the tunes provided by DJ Quain of Rockstar DJs.

Tickets for the St. Louis Mardi Gras Beer, Wine, and Whiskey Taste are $40 in advance, and $50 at the door. Advanced tickets can be purchased online at the official St. Louis Mardi Gras website through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9.

Then Saturday, Feb. 11 it’s the Cajun Cook-Off. Some of St. Louis’ best chefs will share their secrets of Cajun cooking inside the Bud Light Party Centre in Soulard Market Park. There will be demos through the day, as well as the US Foods Demo Kitchen, where you can pick up tips and enjoy samples of scrumptious Cajun foods. Enjoy a complimentary cajun dish, grab a Cruzan Rum Hurricane or Bud Light and enjoy the live music on the sidelines or on the dance floor.

The amature Cajun Cook Off will take place again this year. Ten amateur chefs display their culinary skills and compete for the 2017 Cajun Cook Off championship. Entry is by application only. Food Network and Travel Channel personality Jay Ducote knows Cajun Food. The Baton Rouge chef, food and beverage writer, food blogger will host the amateur cooking competition. He’ll also demonstrate his cooking skills. It’s a chance to see one of the premier authorities in Cajun cooking in action.

There are two ways to enjoy the day. Tickets to the Cajun Cook-Off Saturday from Noon – 4:00 p.m. are $35 in advance and $45 at the door. Or spend $75 for and InsideSTL Kitchen Pass, and get access to the event from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. It’s your chance to hang out in the kitchen with some of the best chefs in St. Louis: Tom Schmidt from Salt+Smoke, Mike Johnson from Sugarfire Smokehouse/Hi Pointe Drive In, Mike Emerson from Pappy’s Smokehouse, and more. Watch as they whip up their creations for the Cajun Sampler, and enjoy special treats made only for the folks in the kitchen. And enjoy the premium open bar. A limit of 40 Kitchen Passes will be sold.

No matter which events you attend, it’ll be your chance to eat, drink, and dance New Orleans style as Mardi Gras St. Louis’ 2017 Gourmet Weekend gets underway!